Latest mock links Royals to the fastest player in the entire draft class

Latest mock links Royals to the fastest player in the entire draft class originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

While the Kansas City Royals are trying to dig themselves out of an early-season hole, fans should be excited about the upcoming draft. This gives them and the other 29 teams a chance to add multiple players to their farm systems, and then hopefully the big-league team.

The Royals have been awarded the No. 6 pick later this summer, and it’s a spot they are familiar with. It was the same spot they drafted Jac Caglianone back in 2024.

Caglianone has been on fire as of late, and the front office is hoping to do well on another first-round pick that could have the fast path to MLB.

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Latest mock links Royals to the fastest player in the entire draft class

There will be plenty of elite talent to take when the Royals get on the clock. The question is, what direction do they feel comfortable going?

Some teams strictly take college talent, others take prep talent, and some other teams simply take what they believe is the best player available, no matter what level they play.

Kansas City operates as the latter. They have taken plenty of high school and college players over the years, and Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter predicts them to draft Mississippi prep outfielder Eric Booth Jr.

“Zooming out from the consensus top three, this class also appears to have a clear top six in raw talent, and Booth is the last player from that group still on the board. With top-of-the-scale speed and enough hit and power potential to be more than just a burner, he could be a future 20-homer, 40-steal center fielder.”

Booth Jr. is the fastest player in the class, which is why many scouts like him going early in the first round, but that’s not all. He’s also solid with the bat in his hands.

If he can work on limiting his choppy swing and developing more power, he could be an excellent pick for the Royals.